Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Thu, Jun 04, 2026 04:20 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Israel seems poised for a massive invasion of Gaza rather than prolonged attrition

Oct 16, 2023 09:12 am UTC| Politics

In the days since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, Israel has counted its dead and secured its borders. The country now faces a grim choice. Will it continue trading air strikes and rocket fire with Hamas militants...

Cannabis in Canada: Debunking myths about the real impacts of legalization

Oct 10, 2023 07:39 am UTC| Law

Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, there was considerable debate about its potential effects. Some predicted it would trigger an economic goldrush, while others worried it would lead to public...

Give cannabis producers more packaging and labelling flexibility

Jan 19, 2021 04:57 am UTC| Law

While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canadas legal market continues to evolve. Health Canada has recently been receiving...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran flexes its missile muscle with terrible consequences

Jan 14, 2020 00:34 am UTC| Insights & Views

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) recently demonstrated its sophisticated missile technology by attacking U.S. military bases in Iraq. But later the same day, its missiles unintentionally destroyed an...

Cannabis quality involves careful science and carefree highs

Jun 19, 2019 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Canadas legal cannabis industry continues to make progress. Product shortages are decreasing. Store numbers are increasing. And edible cannabis regulations have just been finalized. With these basics falling into place,...

How Canadians are buying cannabis and getting high now that it's legal

Feb 19, 2019 16:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

There was much speculation throughout 2018 about Canadas soon-to-be-legal cannabis market. But only recently has data become available that shows what cannabis consumers really want and actually buy. For example,...

Where's the weed? Clues to Canada's cannabis shortages

Jan 27, 2019 14:33 pm UTC| Business

Wheres the weed!? Thats been a common Canadian refrain lately. Shortages appeared almost immediately after recreational cannabis sales began last October. Provincial distributors subsequently blamed producers and...

1 2 3

Economy

Australia Trade Surplus Jumps in April as Iron Ore and Coal Exports Surge

Australias trade surplus rebounded strongly in April 2026, supported by a sharp increase in exports of iron ore, coal, and mineral resources. According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on...

Gold Prices Rebound as Traders Weigh Middle East Tensions and Key U.S. Jobs Data

Gold prices edged higher during Asian trading on Thursday, recovering some losses from the previous session as investors assessed ongoing geopolitical risks in the Middle East and awaited crucial U.S. labor market data...

Asian Stocks Slide as Tech and Chip Shares Retreat Amid Iran Conflict Concerns

Asian stock markets declined sharply on Thursday as investors moved away from technology and semiconductor stocks following recent gains, while ongoing uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict dampened market...

US Stock Futures Slide as Broadcom Earnings Miss Sparks Chip Stock Selloff

U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Wednesday evening as investors reacted to Broadcoms mixed quarterly earnings report and growing geopolitical concerns surrounding the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. Weak sentiment in...

Oil Prices Ease After Rally as Traders Weigh Middle East Risks and U.S. Supply Tightening

Oil prices moved lower during Asian trading on Thursday, ending a three-session rally as investors took profits following recent gains. Despite the pullback, crude markets remained supported by growing geopolitical...

Politics

Rubio Says Tiananmen Square Memories Endure Despite China’s Censorship

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Chinas efforts to censor discussion of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown cannot erase the memory of the pro-democracy demonstrations and the governments violent response. In a...

Trump Weighs Ending Iran Ceasefire if U.S. Troops Are Killed as Conflict Enters Fourth Month

U.S. President Donald Trump has privately informed aides that he may consider ending the current ceasefire with Iran if additional American troops are killed, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on...

Gulf Tensions Escalate as Iranian Missile Attacks Fail and Nuclear Talks Remain Stalled

Hostilities in the Gulf region intensified on Wednesday after the U.S. military reported that multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and other regional locations were either intercepted or...

CBS News Fires Scott Pelley Amid Major Changes at ‘60 Minutes’ in 2026

CBS News has terminated the employment of veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, according to sources familiar with the matter, marking another significant development in the ongoing restructuring of the iconic...

Cambodia Launches UN Maritime Arbitration Against Thailand Over $300 Billion Energy-Rich Gulf Dispute

Cambodia has formally initiated a United Nations-backed compulsory conciliation process to address its long-running maritime boundary dispute with Thailand, a move that could pave the way for access to vast oil and natural...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

CrowdStrike Beats Q1 FY2027 Expectations, Raises Outlook Despite After-Hours Stock Decline

CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD) delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, driven by accelerating demand for AI-powered cybersecurity solutions. The company reported robust revenue growth,...

Quantinuum Raises $1.68 Billion in Upsized Nasdaq IPO Amid Growing Quantum Computing Demand

Quantinuum, a leading quantum computing company backed by Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON), has successfully raised $1.68 billion through an upsized U.S. initial public offering (IPO), highlighting strong investor confidence in the...

Hyundai, Nvidia, and South Korea Near Deal for Major AI Technology Center

Hyundai Motor, Nvidia, and the South Korean government are reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to establish a major artificial intelligence (AI) technology center in South Korea, according to a report by the...

TSMC Sees Strong AI-Driven Growth as Demand for Advanced Chips Continues to Surge

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds largest contract chipmaker, remains optimistic about its long-term growth prospects as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) computing power and advanced...

SpaceX Sets IPO Price at $135 Per Share Ahead of Historic Nasdaq Debut

SpaceX has announced that it will price its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) at $135 per share, a full week before its expected market debut. The move marks a significant departure from the traditional Wall...

Digital Currency